[MSN] Thief rescues artefacts. Thanks to a thief, Delhiites can see some priceless artefacts and documents relating to the pre-Independence Alipore conspiracy case at the Supreme Court museum.

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Thief rescues artefacts 
OUR LEGAL CORRESPONDENT 
New Delhi, May 14: Thanks to a thief, Delhiites can see some priceless
artefacts and documents relating to the pre-Independence Alipore conspiracy
case at the Supreme Court museum.

Most of the documents relating to the trial, which redefined the Indian
freedom struggle, were locked in an almirah at a Calcutta court until a
judge hired the services of a thief to break open the lock in 1997.

The exhibits have been brought here from the Calcutta police museum, the
Alipore district court museum and other places and will be on display till
August 31.

Chief Justice of India Y.K. Sabharwal and other apex court judges on
Saturday recalled the spirit of sacrifice and courage of Aurobindo Ghose,
Khudiram Bose and others who had faced trial in the case.

The case brought into focus a shift in the people's mindset from peaceful
constitutional agitation to militant nationalism after the proposal to
divide Bengal in 1905.

It started with Bose and Prafulla Chaki throwing a bomb at a carriage in
Muzaffarpur, mistaking it to be that of magistrate Kingsford, on April 30,
1908.

The wife and daughter of a British barrister were killed. While Chaki shot
himself to avoid arrest, Bose was sentenced to death on June 13 that year.

Police then booked 34 people, including Ghose, on charges of sedition and
waging war against the British empire. This followed recovery of bombs,
revolvers and other incriminating material in raids conducted across
Calcutta.

While Ghose, who was defended by C.R. Das, was acquitted along with nine
others, the rest were convicted. Barindra Kumar Ghose and Ullaskar Dutta
were sentenced to death, but the punishment was reduced to transportation
for life on appeal.

The Chief Justice, who inaugurated the exhibition at the Supreme Court
museum, said it would go a long way in rejuvenating a spirit of nationalism
among youths.

"Beautiful! Amazing! ... I hope children would see this," Justice Ruma Pal
said about the exhibits, which included the revolver used by revolutionary
Kanai Lal Dutta to kill Naren Gossain, who had turned approver in the case.
 
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